Tobacco-cutter.



T. C. JOHNSON.

TQBACGO GUTTER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1913.

Patented Dec. 1

ZZWNVENTOR ATTORNEY THE NORR/s PETERS co.. PHOTa-LITHG.. WASHING TcNA p- C THOMAS CARROTT JOHNSON, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

TOBACCO-CUTTER.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

i ratenteanec. 1, 1911.

Application ledSeptember 15, 1913. Serial No. 739,886.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Tobacco-Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in tobacco cutters, and its object is to provide a tobacco cutter of eiicient construction capable of cutting the tobacco with ease and which shall, moreover, maintain the blade clean from adherent matcrial.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a base member with a slot therein, together with a reciprocable knife blade having its cutting edge at an angle to the line of travel and movable into and out of the slot so that the entire edge of the blade may readily pass through the tobacco to sever it, the operation being `facilitated by the shear cut produced.

Moreover, the invention comprises cleaner blades mounted on opposite sides of the cutting blade and held thereto in a manner to permit the blades to yield and so embrace the cutting blade with a degree of pressure contributing to the cleaning qualities of the cleaner blades.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part -of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing ofthe drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings Figure l is an elevation with some partsin section' and some parts broken away, showing 'the improved tobacco cutter. Fig. 2 isa section on the line 2,-2 of'Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section through the base and showing one of the end posts, the blade and cleaners being omitted, Fig. t is a vertical cross section on the line 4-t of Fig. l with the cutter and cleaner bladesomitted and drawn on a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 2 but drawn on a largerV scale and showing the cutting knife elevated. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a portion of one of the end posts and associated parts with a holding block omitted and the` bolt for the holding block in cross section. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2, some distant parts being omitted.A Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the holding blocks for the cleaner or scraper blades.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a base 1 which may be of hollow type with interior strengthening ribs 2 and screw holes 3, as is customary. At suitably spaced points the base is provided with holes for stud bolts et on the ends of respective leg members 5, 6, and between the holes for he bolts the base is provided with a long narrow slot 7. i

The posts 5 and 6 are alike except that certain parts of one are higher than certain parts of the other, it being understood that the posts are upright when the machine is in operative position so that a description of one post Awill apply to that of the other except as to the height of some parts.

Each post, which may be in the form of a single casting, has a top extension 8 inset at the sides for the application of face plates 9 each formed with a guide rib 10 matching that of the other to enter side grooves 11 in a rack bar 12 having an eX- tended foot portion 13 to which is attached a cutting blade 14, while mounted between the face plates is a manipulating arm 15 terminating in a gear segment 16 adapted to mesh with the teeth of the rack bar 12. The posts 5 and 6 are formed on the edges facingeach other with guide grooves 17 for the opposite edges of the cutting blade 14E. So far the structure is of known form,

with the exception of the slot 7, which in its details forms no part. ofthe'present invention, and hence needs no specific description.

On opposite sides of the post 5 between its base and the narrow end 8 are recesses 18 having downwardly tapering walls 19 at their upper ends and upwardly tapering walls 20 at their lowerends. These side slots communicate through a common passage 21, and close to the post and between the inner ends of the slots 17 and the corresponding inner ends of therecesses 18 a taper ledge 22 is provided. The walls 19 at their wider ends terminate in flanges or shoulders 23. Adjacent to the recesses 18 the post 5 is provided with a passage for a bolt 24 designed to hold a clamp block 25 to each side of the post One of these clamp blocks is shown separately in Fig. S and the clamp blocks on opposite sides of the post are alike except that they are rights and lefts.

lilach clamp block has a thickened nose endy 26 adapted to enter the respective recess 18 and for this purpose it has an inclined wall 2T shaped to lie insubstantial parallelism with the corresponding wall 19, and, furtliermore, has an edge 28 adapted to rest upon the respective inclined or tapered wall 2O and moreover the nose portion has a recess 29 shaped to receive a corresponding part of the taper ledge 22. Between the inclined or beveled portion 27 and the edge or bevel portion 28 the nose of the block is cut away as indicated at 28h at an angle to the bevel face 2'? for aY purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The post 6 has recesses and blocks like those of the post 5 except that they are more distant from the' base l and for the sake of distinction these parts are marked in thev drawing with the same reference numerals as the similar parts of the post 5 except that each is provided with a like eX- ponent. For instance, the recesses are indicated at 18a, the clamp blocks are indicated at 25n and so on wherever similar parts occur.

Extending across the space between the posts 5 and 6 are two opposed cleaner or scraper blades 30, each having one end lodged in a recess 18 and the other in a recess 18 with said end in engagement with a corresponding` beveled wall of the recess and resting upon the higher portion of the corresponding ledge 22 or 22a, as the case may be. The blocks 25 or 25a, as the case may be, grip the scraper blades 30 tightly against the corresponding posts 5 and 6 in position so that the lower edges of these blades approach one toward the other to be spaced apart slightly less than the thickness of the cutter blade lli, while the approaching edges of the scraper blades 30 where opposite the cut away portion 2Sb will give at this point to permit the passage of the blade la between the blades 80, and the elasticity of the blades thus displaced will cause them to always closely hug the sides of the cutter blade 14:.

Suppose that the blade la is raised' to its upper limit, as indicated in Fig. 5, and that the tobacco to be cut be placed upon the base l, the upper surface of which is flat and may be marked off by measuring grooves 3l, the handle l5 is moved in a direction to force the cutting blade le toward the base l and as the cutting edge indicated at 32 is at an angle or bevel to the line of travel, one end of the cutting edge will engage the tobacco first, and then the remainder of the cutting edge will engage the tobacco progressively, so that the tobacco is subjected to a shear cut. As soon as a portion of the blade has traversed the tobacco, or what may be termed the lower edge of the blade reaches the table 1, it enters the slot 7 and may pass below the top of the table into the hollow portion beneath the top and the rest of the blade will follow in progression until the higher end of the blade also enters the slot 7, and this may mark the lower travel of the blade, which not only progressively cuts the tobacco, but meets no other obstruction or resistance and the cutting end of the blade is not damaged by engagement with some resisting object other than the tobacco. Now, tobacco is often more or less moist and substances within the tobacco, and sometimes portions of tobacco leaves, are liable to cling to the blade. As the blade is lifted it is closely embraced by the cleaner or scraper blades 30 which detach from the sides of the blade any particles of tobacco or other substances which may cling thereto, wherefore every time the cutter blade lfi is reciprocated it is sub- `iected to a cleaning action, thus maintaining it in good condition and preventing particles from adhering to the cutting edge which might in the course of time cause damage to the cutting edge by the attraction of moisture and thus producing rust, or from other causes.

While the cleaner or scraper blades are tightly clamped by the blocks 25, 25, they are still relatively free at 'the active edges, wherefore they may yield to a slight extent to cause them to always grip the cutting blade, and in the case of wear to take up such wear.

The inclination or bevel of the cutting edge 32 with respect to the line of travel greatly facilitates the cutting action and this shear cut is permitted by the presence of the slot 7 through which the blade passes, while the base l may have a flat top particularly adapted to hold the tobacco to be cut.

While the instrument is designed more particularly and is especially adapted for use in connection with tobacco, it may have a further extent of use, wherefore the use is not restricted by terming the instrument a tobacco cutter. p

l. A tobacco cutter provided with a basic portion having an elongated narrow slot therethrough, and a reciprocatory knife mounted upon the basic portion and provided with a cutting edge in inclined or beveled relation to the line of travel and movable into and out of the slot.

2. A tobacco cutter provided with a basic portion having an elongated narrow slot therethrough, a reciprocatory knife provided with a cutting edge in inclined or beveled relation to the line of travel and movable into and out of the slot, said knife being mounted upon the basic portion, and scraper blades located on oppositesides of the cutting blade at an angle to the line of travel approximating that of the cutting edge of the blade. c

3. A tobacco cutter comprising a basic member with an elongatedr narrow slot therein,- posts erected on the basicmembe-r at the ends of the slot, a reciprocatory cutter blade movable along the posts and having its cutting edge beveled or at an angle to the line of travel of the blade, and the said cutting edge being movable into and out of the slot, and scraper blades mounted at the ends in the posts with those ends mounted in one post in closer relation to the basic member than those mounted in the other post.

et. A tobacco cutter provided with a basic member having an elongated narrow slot and spaced posts erected thereon at the ends of the slot, each post having recesses on opposite sides communicating one with the other and provided with inclined 'or tapered walls approaching the point of communication, clamp blocks carried by the respective posts and each provided with a portion adapted to enter the corresponding recess, and scraper blades having the ends lodged in the recesses and having the active edges approaching and free from the clamping blocks where opposite the communicating portions of the recesses, and a cutting blade slidable between the posts land the scrapers and movable into and out of the slot in the basic member.

5. A tobacco cutter provided with a basic member having an elongated narrow slot and spaced posts erected thereon at the ends of the slot, each post having recesses on opposite sides communicating one with the other and provided with inclined or tapered walls approaching the point of communication, clamp blocks carried by the respective posts and each provided with a portion adapted to enter the corresponding recess,

and scraper blades having the ends lodged in the recesses and having the active edges approaching and reefrom the clamping blocks where opposite the communicating portions of the recesses, and a. cutting blade slidable between the posts and the Scrapers and movable into and out Aof the slot in the basic member, ythe vrecesses and clamping blocks on one post being closer to the basic member than those in the other, and the scraper blades being inclined `to the basic member to a like extent. .p

6. A tobacco cutter provided with a basic member 'having an elongated' narrow slot and spaced'posts erected thereon at the ends of the slot, each post having recesses on opposite sides communicating one with the other and provided with inclined or tapered walls approaching the point of communication, clamp blocks carried by the respective posts and each provided with aA portion adapted to enter the corresponding recess, and scraper blades having the ends lodged in the recesses and having the active edges approaching and free from the clamping blocks where opposite the communicating portions of the recesses, and a cutting blade slidable between the posts and the scrapers and movable into and out of the slot in the basic member, the recesses and clamping blocks on one post being closer to the basic member' than thosey in the other, and the scraper blades being inclined to the basic member to a like extent, and the cutter blade having its ycutting edge at an angle or lin beveled relation to the line of travel, said angle approximating that lof the inclination of the scraper blades due to the dierent locations of the slots.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS CARROTT J OI'INSGN.

Witnesses:

JANE Snirnn'r, MAUDE WISMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

